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MERCYME'S 'SHAKE' SGER TALKS REVENTN OF MIC, CHURCH LEGALISM, GAY MARRIAGE, AND GOD'S GRACE, 'WHOUT SUFFERG 'S HARD TO TLY APPRECIATE GRACE' (INTERVIEW) GRAMMY NOMATED CHRISTIAN NTEMPORARY BAND MERCYME, RELEASE THEIR EIGHTH STUD ALBUM, WELE TO THE NEW, ON TUDAY APRIL 8 AND LEAD SGER BART MILLARD SAID FEELS LIKE IS JT THE BEGNG. BREATHEST HAD AN PTH TERVIEW WH MILLARD AND DISCSED THE NEW ERA THE BAND HAS ENTERED OF DCHG THEIR TRADNAL LIFE LEGALISM AND EMBRACG THE JOY AND GRACE OF J CHRIST.BREATHEST: DO YOU THK PEOPLE ARE TEND TO ALWAYS REVENT THEMSELV, THAT WHOLE "NEW" EXPERIENCE LIKE THE SCRIPTUR OM GLORY TO GLORY, OR DO WE EVER FD THAT HAPPY MEDIUM? BART: WE LL MATURG CHRIST. IF I'M NOT ONE STEP CLOSER TO CHRIST NOW THAN I WAS A YEAR AGO, THEN I DON'T THK I'M REALLY DOG WHAT I WAS CREATED TO DO. WE DON'T E TO KNOW CHRIST AND THEN EVERYTHG SHUTS DOWN AND WE GO TO HEAVEN. THERE IS A JOURNEY PLACE.THE BETIFUL THG ABOUT THE JOURNEY IS THAT WE ARE GOOD WH CHRIST REGARDLS OF WHAT HAPPENS THE DAY WE E TO KNOW HIM, WHICH IS THE NOVEL NCEPT OF THIS WHOLE ALBUM. WE TEND TO LIVE LIKE WE HAVE TO STAY GOOD OR WE ARE GOG TO , VERS CHRIST SAYG 'HEY MAN THE VENANTS PLACE, ME AND YOU WERE GOOD SO YOU LIVE LIFE, AND ENJOY YOURSELF ALONG THE WAY. SEE HOW AMAZG I AM LIFE AND CREATN EVERYTHG ELSE AND ENJOY .' I THK THE ENEMY HAS SO BOUND UP THAT WE THK THE SEND THAT WE DON'T DO RIGHT OR GOOD ENOUGH THAT WE'RE ED. I THK THAT'S WHERE THE CHURCH HAS BEEN BONDAGE FOR YEARS AND WHERE I HAVE BEEN BONDAGE FOR YEARS, TIL THE LAST UPLE OF YEARS.BC: I READ THAT YOU GREW UP A VERY STRICT CHURCH WHERE DANCG WAS NOT EVEN ALLOWED, WHAT REVELATN HAS MA YOU EMBRACE THIS NEW REEE ATTU WHICH YOU N DANCE THE VIO OF YOUR FIRST SGLE "SHAKE" AND NOT FEEL GUILTY?BART: THE REVELATN FOR ME WAS THAT I PLAYED BY THE L MY WHOLE LIFE. I'M KD OF AN OVER ACHIEVER. I DID EVERYTHG I ULD. IF THEY TOLD ME I HAD TO DO TWICE I'D DO FOUR TIM. THE IRONY IS, THAT I WAS DOG EVERYTHG RIGHT FOR THE KGDOM BUT YET MY PERSONAL LIFE WAS FALLG APART. I FELT LIKE MY FAY WAS HANGG ON BY A THREAD.IT WAS HEART BREAKG, GOG TO THE SAME CHURCH I GREW UP WHEN MY WIFE AND I GOT MARRIED 15 YEARS AGO WHERE WE ULDN'T HAVE A DANCE BEE MY FATHER LAW WAS A CHAIRMAN OF THE ANS, AND WOULD LOOK SO BAD THAT THEY DIDN'T WANT TO GO THERE. I N'T THK OF A MOMENT WHERE MY WIFE WAS ACTUALLY WALKG OUT THE DOOR BUT WOULDN'T HAVE SURPRISED ME IF THAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED.IN AN TERVIEW, BILLY GRAHAM SAID, 'MY ONE REGRET WAS THAT I DIDN'T CHERISH MY FAY AND MY LIFE ENOUGH,' AND I THOUGHT WHAT AN AMAZG THG FOR SUCH A GODLY MAN TO SAY. I ULD TOTALLY RELATE. I REMEMBER SAYG GOD IS NOT A GOD OF CHAOS SO SOME HOW MY FAY LIFE AND MY MISTRY WILL WORK TOGETHER. I ED AS AN EXCE TO DO ALL THE STUFF I WAS DOG AND THEN MY FAY WAS SUPPOSED TO FIGURE OUT. I SHOULD HAVE PROTECTED MY FAY MORE AND EMBRACED WHAT GOD HAD LAID RIGHT ONT OF ME AND THE MISTRY WOULD TAKE RE OF SELF. WHOUT SUFFERG 'S HARD TO TLY APPRECIATE GRACE AND THAT'S HOW I END UP. I HAD TO FACE HEAD ON AND REALIZE, THIS IS WHAT MATTERS AND THIS IS WHAT DON'T MATTER.A IEND OF ME ME TO MY LIFE AND TOLD ME AT THE PERFECT TIME THAT NO MATTER WHAT I DO LIFE THERE'S NOTHG I N DO GOOD ENOUGH TO MAKE CHRIST LOVE ME MORE THAN HE ALREADY DO. AND SO FOR MY FAY'S SAKE, FOR MY OWN SAKE, FOR THE GOSPEL'S SAKE, 'WHY DON'T YOU JT STOP AND RT THE FISHED WORK OF THE CROSS?' FOR ME, RIGHT THEN WASN'T ABOUT DOG SOMETHG, WAS ABOUT DOG NOTHG. AND WAS LIFE CHANGG! THAT'S WHY THE ALBUM IS LLED WELE TO THE NEW, AFTER 20 YEARS OF MERCYME WE FEEL LIKE WE'RE JT GETTG STARTED.BC: WHAT ADVICE N YOU OFFER A BELIEVER WHO MAY BE YOUNG THEIR WALK OR UNAWARE, TO HELP THEM INTIFY THE BONDAGE OF LEGALISM?BART : I'VE BEEN A CHRISTIAN SCE I WAS 13, SO FOR ME TO BEE ANT IS EXACTLY WHAT THE ENEMY WANTED TO DO, SO I'VE LEARNED TO BE A LTLE MORE GRAC.LEGALISM OR THE LACK OF LEGALISM IS NOT WHAT MAK CHRISTIAN. WE N BE THE MOST LEGALISTIC CHURCH AND E TO KNOW J AND REMA LEGALISTIC, BUT BEE OF THE GRACE OF GOD WE ARE STILL GOG TO MAKE TO HEAVEN. THE DIFFERENCE IS PERSPECTIVE, BEE OF YOUR PERSPECTIVE YOU N MISS OUT ON THE JOY THAT CHRIST SIR TO HAVE HEAR ON EARTH.IF THE MSAGE IS PRENTED THE RIGHT WAY, I N'T IMAGE SOMEONE NOT WANTG TO BE EE OF LEGALISM AND WANTG TO BE EE. RELIGN IS SUCH A PRSG STORY PARISON TO A TE-EE LIFE WH CHRIST AND THAT'S WHAT WE ARE TRYG TO DO, IS SHOW THE DIFFERENCE. RELIGN WILL FALL SHORT. RELIGN'S PURPOSE WAS TO TER TO AN AMAZG EE GOSPEL, NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND.BC: NOW, ON THE OTHER HAND, WHAT N HELP THE BELIEVER NOT BEE SO LIBERAL, THAT THEY END UP GOG AGAST GOD'S TEACHGS SOME SORT OF A NEW AGE WAY?BART: I BELIEVE THAT EVERYTHG REVOLV AROUND THE LIGHT, I THK THAT'S WHAT ALL DOWN TO. I THK THE ENEMY HAS DONE A VERY GOOD JOB AT MAKG ANYTHG THAT'S SPIR LED SOUND LIKE 'S THE HIPPIE MOVEMENT.THE BOTTOM LE IS THAT OUR CHRISTIAN WALK DOWN TO ONE THG, WE TRY TO DO ALL THE THGS TO PLEASE GOD TO GET HIS ATTENTN WHEN THE WHOLE TIME HE'S SAYG 'I'VE BEEN PLEASED WH YOU SCE THE DAY YOU LLED MY NAME, I NEVER STOP, SO WE N GET PASS THAT, THERE IS NO NMNATN, I'M THRILLED WH YOU AT YOUR WORST AND AT YOUR BT, BEE WHAT YOU DO, IS NOT WHO YOU ARE.'THE BIBLE SAYS IF YOU WANT TO PLEASE GOD, THEN JT BELIEVE , TST , FOLLOW MEANS LIVE A SPIR LED LIFE. THE SAME SPIR THAT ROSE CHRIST OM THE AD DWELLS SI OF YOU, AND BEE OF THAT FACT, ALL WE HAVE TO GO BY IS WHAT THE SPIR LEADS TO DO. THE SAD TTH IS, SOMETIM WILL BE AGAST WHAT RELIGN OR YOUR FELLOW BELIEVERS, OR YOUR CHURCH MAY SAY, OR MAY UNRSTAND, AND MAY PUT YOU A HARD SPOT, BUT I BELIEVE THAT'S WHAT DOWN TO. I BELIEVE THE GOSPEL IS VERY TAILOR MA FOR EACH OF , THE ULTIMATE TTH IS ONLY ONE ANSWER AND THAT IS, CHRIST IS THE ONLY WAY, TTH AND LIFE, NO ONE TO THE FATHER BUT THROUGH HIM.I DID THIS BIG BLOG A WHILE BACK ABOUT ELLEN DEGENER HOSTG THE OSRS AND GOT EATEN ALIVE BY PEOPLE SAYG THAT I SUPPORT GAY MARRIAGE. ALL I SAID WAS THAT SHE DID A GREAT JOB, AND SHE'S VERY FUNNY. SO I HAD TO KDA E BACK AND SAY, LOOK I JT WANT TO MAKE CLEAR THAT I LOVE ELLEN WH AS MUCH GRACE AS I N POSSIBLY MTER UP AND I THK SHE IS UNBELIEVABLE AND I PRAY THAT SHE TO KNOW CHRIST ONE DAY MORE THAN ANYBODY ELSE. I THK 'LL BE UNBELIEVABLE.PEOPLE HAVE ASKED ME 'WHAT DO YOU THK OF GAY MARRIAGE?' I WISH THERE WAS A LOOP WHOLE THAT SAYS WAS OK BEE THAT WOULD MAKE LIFE EASIER FOR ALL OF , BUT I N'T FD . I TRY NOT TO GO THERE BEE THAT SHUTS THE DOOR SO FAST TO HAVG THE ABILY TO SHOW GRACE. ON THE FLIP SI OF THAT, I HAD TO MAKE CLEAR, THAT I HAVE GAY IENDS THAT I LOVE WH ALL MY HEART. IN FACT, I LOVE THEM SO MUCH THAT I HAVE THIS BURN TO SEE THEM E TO KNOW CHRIST REGARDLS OF WHAT THE CHURCH MAY THK OF ME; BEE I RE FOR THEM MORE THEN I DO FOR SOME OF THE CHURCH.BUT I BELIEVE WH ALL MY HEART THAT WHOUT CHRIST YOU DON'T GET , PERD. SOME PEOPLE SAY THEY NEED TO STOP BEG GAY TO E TO CHRIST, BUT HERE'S THE THG, I HAVEN'T FIGURED OUT HOW TO STOP LYG YET, OR GOSSIPG AND SOME HOW, CHRIST HAS LET ME . THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT STGGLE WH THE FLH THAT WILL BE HEAVEN.I HOPE I'M NOT FALLG TO SOME NEW AGE HIPPIE THG WHEN I SAY S ALL ABOUT BEG SPIR LED AND SHOWG PEOPLE GRACE BEE I DO BELIEVE THAT'S WHAT THE GOSPEL IS. IF I EVER THOUGHT THAT THERE WAS MORE THAN ONE WAY TO HEAVEN THAN CHRIST, THEN I HAVE MSED UP, SOMEBODY PUNCH ME THE FACE, BEE I DON'T BELIEVE THAT, BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT GRACE IS SO VAL.BC: THERE IS A NEW THG GOG AROUND THE CHRISTIAN DTRY THAT ARTISTS, WORSHIP LEARS, ACTORS, AND RAPPERS DO NOT WANT TO BE LLED CHRISTIAN BEE THEY SAY LIMS THEIR REACH. WHAT DO YOU THK ABOUT THAT?BART: I DON'T REALLY RE, I RATHER PICK THE LABEL OF CHRISTIAN THEN NOT BE LLED A CHRISTIAN. I THK RELIGN HAS KDA ED AND GIVEN A BIG BLACK EYE. WHERE I STAND IS, I AM A CHRISTIAN, THIS IS THE TYPE OF CHRISTIAN I AM. UNFORTUNATELY, WE REPRENT A LOT OF LEGALISTIC, RELIG PEOPLE, THAT EMBARRASS ME MORE THAN ANYBODY ELSE.I'M NOT GOG TO ALLOW THE MASTREAM WORLD TO STRIP ME OF WHO I AM AS A CHRISTIAN. I'M NOT GOG TO LET THE KNUCKLE HEADS THE CHURCH DO THE SAME THG. AND SO, I'M A CHRISTIAN, I AM A CHRISTIAN BAND. A GOOD SONGWRER WR ABOUT WHATEVER NSUM THEIR HEART, AND MY HEART IS NSUMED WH CHRIST.I GUS, YOU N NOT LL ME A CHRISTIAN BAND BUT YOUR GOG TO KNOW ABOUT 30 SENDS THAT I AM. WE'VE BEEN AROUND FOR 20 YEARS AND THAT THG HAS BEEN GOG AROUND FOR SO LONG, I'VE KD OF OUT-GROWN THAT.THE ON THAT MAKE A BIG AL ABOUT NOT BEG LLED THAT, 'S LIKE YOU'RE TRYG TO MAKE UP FOR SOMETHG ELSE THAT'S MISSG. THERE'S ALWAYS AN AGENDA. YOU N LL ME ANYTHG YOU WANT, AS LONG AS YOU'RE LISTENG TO MY MIC (LAUGHS).LISTEN THE ALBUM PREVIEW OF MERCYME'S ALBUM WELE TO THE NEW, BELOW:LATEST NEWS
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